Can Covid Lead to Erectile Dysfunction or Impotence?

A recent New York Times article posed the question, “Can Covid Lead to Impotence?” With the understanding that the coronavirus affects the cardiovascular system, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that Covid might affect a man’s vascular health, resulting in ED. However, while some studies have demonstrated that men recovering from Covid tend to have higher rates of erectile dysfunction, there is not - to date - a definitive, causal connection between Covid and ED.

According to the article, hundreds of scientific papers from around the world have reported a connection, but estimates of the magnitude of the problem vary widely. Some studies estimate the risk of erectile dysfunction increased by 20 percent after a bout with Covid while others report much higher numbers. Research from imaging scans and biopsies demonstrates that the coronavirus can infect tissue within the male genital tract and that it might remain long after the initial infection. 

However, as we have written in other blog posts on ED, erectile dysfunction can be caused by a number of factors. For instance, we know that men need healthy blood vessels and good blood flow in order to develop and sustain erections and it has been postulated that the coronavirus may damage blood vessels and the lining of the vessels.

It’s also important to take mood and mental health into account - men need to be in a good state of mind and become aroused in order to achieve an erection. The heightened anxiety, loneliness and fatigue brought about by Covid - and the potential side effects of these stressors - cannot be discounted when assessing the increased incidence of ED.

If you’ve had Covid and are experiencing ongoing erectile dysfunction - please give the office a call so we can help you assess your health and use our comprehensive approach to help address your sexual health challenges.